Tina Turner (1939-2023)

Tina Turner was a force of nature and determination. Driven, highly energetic, sophisticated and charismatic, Turner had three careers. As the frontwoman in the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, she was instrumental in the group's many crossover R&B hits, including River Deep-Mountain High and Proud Mary. In her hands, the latter became a voluptuous, steamy cover of John Fogerty's original roots-rocker for Creedence Clearwater Revival.

She also acted in films, as the Acid Queen in the rock-opera film Tommy and as Mel Gibson's co-star in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. And she had an astonishing solo career, releasing Private Dancer in 1984 with enormous chart and performance success. By then, she had established herself as a strong-willed, talented woman known for her laugh, legs and stagecraft, which Mick Jagger had studied to develop his own style in 1966.

But perhaps her biggest cultural contribution was tastefully breaking the female sexuality barrier on stage. When performing on TV and in concert, Turner was strong, fierce and seductive without being seedy or shocking. Unfortunately, many female performers who followed in her wake didn't quite see the art and nuance of what she was doing. You can read my Tina Turner appreciation for the arts section in the Wall Street Journal here.

Here are 10 clips that define the legendary Tina Turner...

Here's Tina on the Big T.N.T. Show in 1965...

Here's Proud Mary in Italy in 1971...

Here's River Deep-Mountain High in 1973...

Here's Tina as the Acid Queen in Tommy...

Here's Tina in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...

Here's Tina with Rod Stewart singing Get Back and Hot Legs in 1981...

Here's Tina at Live Aid in Philadelphia with Mick Jagger in 1985...

Here's the recording of We Are the World in 1985 (still chokes me up)...

Here's Tina's What's Love Got to Do With It...

Here's Tina in Barcelona, Spain, in 1990 singing Al Green's Let's Stay Together...

Bonus: Here's Tina singing the Beatles' Help!, which was dropped from the U.S. edition of Private Dancer but appeared on the international edition...